HAWAII’s Kilauea volcano exploded a six-mile high stream of ash into the sky on Thursday with experts warning the eruptions could continue for weeks and no one knows when it is going to stop.

Kilauea has exploded with a massive eruption, shooting an ash cloud 30,000ft into the air and forcing residents to scramble for shelter as ash smothered the island and volcanic rocks the size of cars were hurled from the summit.

But the highly active volcano could keep erupting for weeks and scientists have no idea when the activity will calm down.

Volcanologist Janine Krippner of Concord University in West Virginia said: "There's so many variables. It's complicated, like a bad Facebook relationship status.

"Something will eventually change like it has over and over and over again."

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Kilauea has exploded with a massive eruption, shooting an ash cloud 30,000ft into the air

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The last time Kilauea saw a period of explosive activity was May 1924, which is 94 years ago this month.

There were 50 explosive activities recorded in a 2 and a half week period and ballistic blocks weighing up to 14 tons were thrown from the crater, Krippner said.

Kilauea is one of the world's most active volcanoes and has been erupting continuously since 1983.

Scientists understand the mechanics of what is causing the outburst but they have no idea why after 35 years Kilauea is exploding in different ways.

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Kilauea is one of the world's most active volcanoes

These include lava flowing out of cracks east of the summit and a powerful eruption of ash.

Volcanologist Erik Klemetti of Denison University in Ohio said: "It would be anybody's guess why it changed behaviour in the last few weeks as it dramatically did.

"We're beginning to see the cycle of clogging and pressure building and then the blast.

"They are probably being blasted out at hundreds of miles per hour.

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Klemetti added Thursday’s blast may be near upper limits of this type of steam explosion

“Residents on the east side of the island should be ready for this unsettling behaviour for the near future and see how it goes.”

Klemetti added Thursday’s blast may be near upper limits of this type of steam explosion.

There is no way to say how long this current period of explosive activity will continue, but when the Iceland volcano erupted in 2010, disruption due to the ash cloud lasted for more than a month sparking travel chaos.

Hawaii civil defence has warned that if residents find themselves in an area with massive ash fallout, they should do whatever they can to protect themselves.